Finally I Get to Tell You About Brave Girls Camp!

I have done more traveling the last 2 months than I have done in the last few years total!  It is so good to be home and not have to think about the next trip.  I can't wait to share about my experience at Brave Girls Camp and some photos too.

Kathy Wilkins' husband (Kurt) and Melody Ross' son picked us up at the hotel in the Brave Girls bus on Tuesday afternoon of June 26th.  There were 17 other women who attended camp with me and we were so excited to finally be on the bus headed for Star, Idaho and the home of Melody and the Brave Girls Art Barn!

I in fact was still in a bit of shock.  Since I took a last minute opening I did not have the wait that a lot of the women did.  I found out some had been on a waiting list for as much as 2 years!  I felt so grateful to be there.

Kathy and Melody met us as we stepped off the bus and we took our first walk along the Snake River.  Melody and her husband's property is right next to the public Snake River walking path.

Before we reached the spot where we entered their property, Melody stopped and asked us not to talk for the rest of the walk.  She also asked us to listen as we walked...to the birds who had been "practicing their singing for us" and to our inner selves.

We began to walk silently as she requested and almost immediately my tears started to flow.  Up ahead there were two large trees and one was leaning on the other.  My inner voice said, "Lynn, its okay for you to lean on others."  God was whispering to me and I wanted to listen.

Oh my, then the tears really started flowing.  By the time we reached their property I was a mess.  Melody came over, put her arm around me and whispered, "That (the silent walk) was for you."  I knew in the first twenty minutes of my departure off that bus; this was going to be a powerful and healing experience.

My tears were I believe, all the ones I couldn't cry when I needed to before.  Somehow deep inside I knew that even with this group of women I had just met, it was a safe place to feel.  My heart and soul knew what my head didn't.  My heart just let go of years of pain, loss, sadness, apathy, numbness, hurt and more than I can even put words to I'm sure. 

So I let myself cry and I cried off and on pretty much through that first evening.  Cleansing, exhausted, frustrated and depressed tears.  Thank goodness!!!    


Here are a couple of photos from that amazing path once we forked off onto the Brave Girl property...

YOU ARE SAFE HERE

SLOW DOWN & SOAK IT IN

YOU ARE SO VERY LOVED

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL

I'm going to stop right there.  For my sake I am going to take the time to feel and remember what it was like to feel safe, to slow down, to feel so very loved and beautiful there.  And honestly there is just too much to share in one blog post so stay tuned.  I have much more to tell you.

Oh...and needless to say...I was depressed when I got there, I did apply wet paint; and  I was not depressed when I left.  I'll tell you more about that too, as well as what has happened in the time since I have been home. 

So don't forget to apply wet paint when depressed!


Just for a hint of something else to come; here is a detail of a painting I have been working on in the last week.  I'll tell and show you more about that too and the wonderful artist Renee Mak who has been my amazing art instructor.  Thought I would end this post with a boost of color.  Enjoy!